Brentford manager Mark Warburton has refused to play down the magnitude of his side's Championship playoff semi-final clash against Middlesbrough this evening.

The Bees head into the second leg trailing 2-1 following last week's reverse tie, which saw Boro grab a late winner through Fernando Amorebieta.

Many have played down Brentford's chances of overturning the deficit in front of a packed Riverside Stadium crowd, although Warburton, who will depart the club at the end of the season regardless of tonight's outcome, is quietly confident that his side can still progress.

"The players have done it before, they have gone to places like Nottingham Forest and Leeds and won," he is quoted as saying by the London Evening Standard. "We will have nothing but respect for Middlesbrough but we'll go there with zero fear.

"Tonight is a huge game and there is no point dumbing it down. People will say do not make a big thing of it to the players but the prize is a Wembley final and Premier League status.

"I think we would rather adopt the opposite approach, highlight to the players that it is possibly the biggest game they will play in so go out and enjoy it."

Brentford finished eight points behind their opponents at the end of the regular Championship season.